


A Sad Formality

by FrantheAnne



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, Oneshot, This kinda hurt to write, rivetra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2018-01-01 15:39:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrantheAnne/pseuds/FrantheAnne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi delivers some sad news.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sad Formality

"Captain Rivaille! Welcome!"

Erik Ral held the door open, gesturing for Levi and his young friend to come inside.

"Is this the new recruit Petra wrote to me about? The highly important, top secret youth that's supposed to save us all?"

Erik's eyes twinkled as he regarded Eren with friendly curiosity. "Eren, isn't it? I'm Erik, Petra's father."

 

He stuck his hand out at Eren, and pumped the young man's hand. "She's not exactly told me what it is that you do that makes you so valuable, but she has written that she regards you highly as a friend. Almost as much as she values her captain." 

Eren stared at the ground, unable to say anything.

Erik turned and winked at Levi, "She hasn't stopped by yet, but I expect she's still busy filling out paperwork and the like, isn't that right Captain?"

Levi, still standing just inside the doorway, looked blankly at Erik.

"Mr. Ral-" he started stiffly.

Erik waved a hand dismissing Levi's military-grade stiffness. "Levi, I told you already, call me Erik. After all, soon we'll be fami-"

"You are former Commander Erik Rak, the closest kin of Private Petra Ral of the Special Operations Squad. It is my honor to inform you-"

Erik's smile dimmed. "Excuse me?"

"-that Private Ral has fulfilled her duty and died a heroic death in battle. Her remains-"

Erik took a step back, his smile gone now. "You- you're joking, right?"

Levi barreled on, stone faced. "Her remains could not be recovered. Her belongings will be delivered to your home-"

The muscles in Erik's jaw clenched as he faced Levi. He stood tall, his spine rigid, all light gone from his eyes. His features hardened into a mask made of stone.

"Private Ral's belongings will be delivered to your home within the next few days. That is all."

Erik nodded stiffly. "Understood, Captain. Thank you."

Levi nodded in reply and turned towards the doorway, his hand on the doorknob when Eren turned back.

"Mr. Ral," Eren began, "Your daughter, Petra, she died protecting-"

"That's enough. " Levi's command was cool.

"But Captain," Eren protested, "He has the right to know-" 

Erik held up a hand. "Listen to your captain, private."

Eren swallowed thickly, "But sir-"

"I raised my daughter to be an honest person. She was proud, and loyal, and I'm sure she died doing what she loved and protecting someone she held dear."

Levi's chest tightened, and he shut his eyes tightly, grateful that neither Eren nor Erik could see his face.

"Jaeger, it's time for us to leave. Come."

Eren, after casting one last long look at Petra's father, followed Levi out of the doorway, trailing his fingers lightly over the shallow notches in the wood, markers of Petra's growth as a child.

Erik, watching the Captain and his latest charge walk away, felt his façade cracking. Erik could not be a solider. He was not a soldier anymore. Now he was just a childless man. And the man walking away from him, the one who had been so determined to protect the members of his squad, 

Levi and Eren had already started down the road when Erik called to them.

"Captain," he called, "Levi, wait."

Levi paused midstep and took a long moment to carefully school his expression into a cool, blank slate.

He turned and looked directly at Erik, and waited.

"She loved you, you know. Not just as a friend. She lived for you. And that she died protecting you, protecting this boy, fighting for our freedom- I'm sure she would do it again."

Levi swallowed thickly- he felt his throat close up and clenched his fists.

He didn't know what to say, what to do to convey his emotions to the man who had trusted him with his daughter's life. What to say to the father of the woman he had intended to-

Erik shook his head. "You don't need to say anything. I just wanted to make sure you knew that she wouldn't have had any regrets."

Levi felt the corner of his mouth twitch, and he had to clench his jaw to keep from doing anything, from saying anything stupid. He nodded stiffly, the muscles in his neck knotted tight from the effort it took to not move, to not break down. _  
_

Erik, his eyes now brimming with tears, shot Levi a sad smile. "Thank you, Captain."

Again, Levi nodded stiffly and turned away.

_No Erik. Thank **you**. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I loved her too._


End file.
